Button dipping and drying machine



Jan. 24, 1950 B. c. EISENBERG BUTTON DIPPING AND DRYING MACHINE '3 Sheets-Sheet 1 filed Feb 2a, 1948 Jan. 24, 1950 B. c. EISENBERG 2,495,446

' BUTTON DIPPING AND DRYING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 26, 1948 :inventor:

. BERNARD C. EISENBERG y Gttomeg Jan. 24, 1950 B Q EISENBERG 2,495,446

BUTTON DIPPING AND DRYING MACHINE Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 26, 1948 s Snventor:

BERNARD QEISENBERG l l I Bu (Ittorneg Pa'tented Jan. 24, 1950 invention-relates tothef-art oT-making buttons and, 'moreparticlarly Tto machines for iiipning and drying buttons.

According to known methods, biittons tare dipped :into liquid. Aiii-*er examplehuttons fma'de of `-plastics soliibl'e in acetone afredipped '1in ySaeetone inA order to provide ithese knit'tons "with luster and 4with a smooth and 3hard surface. =Inether cases, buttons are colored for Ac'oate'd by a li'qu'id treatment. Hitherto, the ibuttons have fbeen finserted into and have been removed `from th'e iliq'i uid bath by h'and. `'Objects yfof lmy v"invention fare to save =1aber,-t0 carryiout the c'-ippingoperaton mechanically er automatically, @to itr'eat n large lquairtityoi lbiitton's relatively short time, 'and to provide a dipping treatment "that affects "all these Lkmttoifis inaccuratelyuiniform manner.

' H'(Dther A'ol'ijeets -are *to :move the buttons in the bath, *to -a'djus't the :length-'oi the way over which the 'buttons move fin the 'bath'. andithereby to iadjust 'the duration :of I"the liqiiid *treatment LFurther dbectsare to dry thebuttons laiter'tm liquid treatment, vto transport the biittonsfrom the bath into a drying A'cham'b'er meehariicaily or automatically, to move the buttons inte and through lthe drying lchamber by the saine carrying element `which carried thebuttons through the bath, and to guide the buttons 2inthe drying chamber along a 'repeatedly bending orsnake'- like path wherebythebuttons remain in the drying chamber 'for a 'consideragtle'llength oi -time.

wStill other "objects 'are *to 'combme 'a button dip# ping machine with Aafinitton shankiiig machne, tripick up buttons after the 'shanking nperation automatically 'by the carrying element; Ywiriich carriesthe buttonsithroug'hthe bath 'and the 'drying chamber, and to avoid manual handling or the buttons throughout vthe shariliing Adipping and dryingioperations.

Still further objec'ts are to fialinthese reslts. with simple and 4reliable means, and `with a machine that can be easily made, operated 'and' maintained .and that can be adjusted orbutton's of different types Or dimensions.

stili .other bjects .and advantages *will :appear claims and `from the accompanying "drawing which:

Fig. 1 .shoWsa front view of an illustrative embodiment of my invention.

.'Fig.f2 shows a cross-section 'taken 4.along 'the 'broken line "2-52 'in'liga i1. l

Fig. v3 shows .a cross-.sectionttken along th'e line Jl--3`iI'1"Fig. v1.

(oren-46.)

Fig. 4 shows a View of some parts'foffthis fembodiment,1seen from thele'fts'de in FigJ-Q lorfrem the lhaelt side in. Fig. i1, :some fof the represented parts lbeing broken off.

LEig.lfshmils2a.fcress=sectiontaken=alongthe line MSI-inFig. l-,theil'owerpart ofthe machine being ybif-fikeifi fFig ish'owsfa eperspective view of a detail 1of the same embodiment, ia =.portion yof this detail being v'fbrllrer-i en".

EEi'g. i8 shows a Aicross-section taken :along fthe broken line "8-8 Trin 1.

i'g. 9 :s'howsa Stop fvi'erw 'of fa ade'tai1 fo'f the (same embodiment, comprising :a n'ger, fa 'broken eff portion J'o'f a chain mo'ving'fthis finger, and fa. broken =off portion of a -teble 'underlying 'this fin-ger.

Viag. 1,-1 Ishows fa 'top View of'V another 'd'etail, corrrprisin'g a vchain portion anda lpick-up mem ber attached "to -this chain por-tion.

Vlig. showsa iront Vview 'of the par-ts show-n ih Fig. Vf1.1. Y

Fig. I3 'shows *still "another `Vdetail, *comprising la chainlooition landaca'rrying member attached to this y'chain fportion.

Fig. 'i4 *shows -a ifront view o'f `rthe parts shown in Fig. `13.

Fig. l5 shows a part of the cross-section shown* in Fig. :5, represented on Valarger scale.

"Fig. i and rFigs. j9 to 15"a'reirepresented on about truescale. Figs. f2,j4 and 5 are represented onareducedscale. Figs. '1, `3, 7 and 8 are repre' sented nastill'more reduced scale. 'In the iiguies 'represented fon reduced scales, 'some parts' are :represented 'inf simplied shapes and some other lparts are omitted `for the lsake of clearer .representation of the embodiment.

. ,Referring te the draw-ings., .numeral -l indicates a. trough-or receptacle. This 4rec-:eptacle .mayfhave anfelongated shape and an open upperside :and may be fnl-led with a .liquid suitable for -treating buttons, for example, with acetone Ior fdye. This lqnidrmayhll the :receptacle fas f'a'ras :near to the receptacles upper :ri-m, for example up to a `level 4. Tfwo `rotataible shafts 6 and 9 cross "the receptale I horizontally. The shaft 56 is positioned near that end LVof the receptacle which is at the s'i'de'in '1,"and carries a wheel I'U. The

lshait 9 `is`po'sit`i'o1f1edinea-fthe 'opposite end ofthe receptacle 'and carries two wheels il and l2.

A frame comprising a back wall I3 and front walls I4 and I5 is positioned on top of the receptacle I. The walls I4 and I5 are connected by cross-walls which will be described later and by a horizontal plate I6. This plate projects beyond the front walls and serves as a base for a shank feeding and cutting device I1 of that type which has been described and shown in my co-pending patent application of December 23, 194'?, Ser. No. 793,346. A plate-shaped table I8 extends horizontally from the back wall I3 to the front and has a longitudinal slot I9 running parallel to the back wall and communicating with a broader re in the reverse direction of the arrow 59 to the wheel I2. Therefrom, the element 56 runs in the direction of the arrow 69 and enters a drying chamber 6I through a bottom opening 62 of the latter. The element 56 leaves the chamber 6I through another bottom opening 63 and runs lvin the direction of the arrow 64 to a wheel 65 and cess 26 provided near that end of the table which Y is at the right side in Fig. 1. Y

In accordance with the mentioned prior application, the shank cutting and feeding device I1 comprises a rotatable shaft 2l, a wheel 22 carried by the shaft 2l, a knife 23 and a device 24 for the application of an adhesive making liquid to the Shanks.

A shaft 25 is rotatably carried by a block 26 slidable in a window or slot 21 of the front wall I4 and carries a wheel 28. The block 26 can be adjusted by means of a screw 29 passing through a threaded hole of a vertical cross-wall 3!! into a space accessible through a recess 3l of the front wall I4. The outer end of the screw 29 is provided with a hand wheel 32.

A shaft 33 is rotatable in bores of the back wall I3 and of the front wall I4 and carries two adjacent wheels 34 and 35. Only one of these wheels, for example, the wheel 34, is directly aflixed to the shaft 33.v The other wheel is coupled with the afxed wheel whereby both wheels 34 and 35 rotate with the shaft 33, The position of the wheel 35 with respect to the wheel 34 is adjustable in the turning direction. For example, two bolts 36 are aixed to the wheel 34, pass through arc-shaped slots 31 of the wheel 35 and have ends engaged by nuts 38. The relativeadjustment of the wheels 34 and 35 is facilitated by a bolt 39 provided with screw threads 48 and 4I winding in opposite directions and engaging correspondingly wound threads in two plates 42 and 43. The plate 42 is affixed to the wheel 35. The plate 43 is connected to the wheel 34 by a pin 44 pass'ng through an arc-shaped slot 45 of the wheel 35. The distance between the plates 52 and 43, and thereby the angular relative position of the wheels 34 and 35, varies when the bolt 39 is turned.

The Wheels 28 and 34 are connected by an endless iiexible element 46 rwhich may be a chain consisting of links 41 (Figs. 9 and 10). Transport members 48 are axed to some of these links and distributed at equal intervals over the length of the element 46. The members 48 are omitted in Figs. 1 and I'I and, partly, in Figs. 2 and 5. As to be seen from Figs. 9 and 15, the members 48 form fingers sliding over the ytable I8 `and having V-shaped recesses positioned symmetrically with respect to the slot I9. Thereby, each member or finger 48 is adapted to move or shift a button 49 inserted in the recess along the table I8 so that the center of the button moves over and along the slot I9.

The wheel 35 is connected with a wheel 56 by a flexible element or chain 5I which is guided over another wheel 52 so that the wheels 35 and 59 rotate in opposite directions. The wheel 50 is afxed to a shaft 53, and the wheel 52 to a shaft 54. The shafts 53 and 54 are rotatable in bores of the back wall I3 and of the front wall I5. Another wheel 55 is aixed tothe shaft 53.

` ceptacle I so that buttons 49 carried by the ele- .ment 56 in a manner which will be described later move through the liquid contained in the receptacle (see Fig. v2) These buttons move along a path parallel to that of the element 56. The path of the buttons running from the wheel II) to the wheelV I I is vcompletely submerged while the inclined portions running in the directions of the arrows 51 and 59 mayl be more or less submerged according to the adjustment of the wheel 58 which can be shifted vertically, for example, by the following means:

A shaft 68 carries the wheel 58 and is rotatable in bores of a fork 69. I This fork has a front extension 19 slidable in a vertical slot 1I of the front wall I5. A vertical screw bolt 12 passes through a correspondingly threaded hole in the extension 10, has a cylindrical zone rotatable in a bore of a front extension 13 of the front wall I5 and has a square head 14. When this head'is turned, the screw 12 moves the extension 10, the fork 69 and the wheel 58 in vertical direction.

The wheels 65, 66 and 61'are carried, respectively, by shafts 15, 16 and 11 which are rotatable in bores of the back `wall I3 and of the front wall I5. Between the wheels 61. and 55, the element 56 maybe additionally guided by a track 18 havw ing a substantially horizontal upper surface over which thiselement or blocks 93 afxed to thisy element slide. The track 18 is supported by a horizontal cross-wall 19 and may be adjustably connected tothis cross-wall by screw bolts provided with nuts 8l visible best in Fig. 5.

The drying chamber 6I may have any known and suitable structure, may be positioned on top of an extension 82 of the back wall I3 and of a slightly forwardly propecting extension 83 of the front wall I5, and is situated over that end of the receptacle I which contains the wheels II and I2.

Four parallel and rotatable shafts 84, 85, 86 and 81 cross the drying chamber horizontally. Each of these shafts carries wheels which serve to guide the element 56 in the' chamber along a snake-like winding path. For example, each of the shafts 84, and 86 carries 'four wheels 88, 89, 98 and 9|" While the shaft 81 carries one wheel less, that is, wheels 89, and 9|. The snake-v like path runs from the opening 62 over wheel 88 on shaft 84 up to wheel 88 on shaft 85, then down 'in slightly oblique direction to wheel 89 on shaft 84up to wheel 89 on shaft 85, down to wheel 90 on shaft 34 and so on, over the remaining wheels on shafts 84 and 85. From the last of these wheels, wheel 9| on shaft 85, the path of the element 56 ,runs horizontally to wheel 9i on shaft 86, then down .to wheel 9I on shaft 81,. up in slightlyoblique direction to wheel 90 on shaft 86 and so on, over the remaining wheels on shafts T86 81. v;.'d'imn1dnl1eaant znfzitheae wheels, Wheel .16B zonzshaftsl, the #nath :rims do theeneringr 63 and .fiurther asidesoribed morera f ,jilhe flexible elementnnszpneferabiysconstituted by a chain similar to the chain 46 and composed lof flinke r9.2 '.(Figs. il and .129.. Blocks1er-: nfienibers 0B are famed to some .of these. :and distributed .at equal :internals raver ithe entire :length nf 'the .element :56. f :Theseiinternals :arerequal :to

the :"imerval's nf the inngersrortraznsport members yf 68. `Each block 13 iis provided Withmmeedle 04 .which lpoints .in a direction :crossing `.the direction of the element 1156and m'fltheiblncksr orslaterallywiithmespectte theinpath. .'lll'iexblooks` 93and the needles :Share-:omittedinigs Lil,i3,.'1,z8 .and ipartly .rin Fig. i2 ifor the sake mf fnlear :repreisentation.ofthesengures .iA-'s :to: beseeniin Eigfr, lthetineeclesist are ssolongand sopositinne'd that each `needle reaches r.through the .i slot Elie icfst-he -table 1If81when the :block $3 @or that spart .fof the element 1615 which carries #the needle slides over the track J 8. Thereby, :each needleenters-.afbutton 49 which, at the-same itime, is moved a nger 68 over and along theslot :t9 and parallel tothe :elementi-56.

The path of the element 56 has a portion 95 positioned in 'the imoving'direction before the horizontal .surface .of the track J8 .and gradually approaching the path of the element446- Thereby, these two paths converge, and needles running along the approaching pass pick -in'to buttons. Thereafter, the picked up .buttons are heldfbyt'he needles and are carried `by ithesame along the path of the element 56 until the buttons `:are separated v.from the needles ywill be .described later. i. v p i.

'The :buttons are prevented From evadingfthe picking needles upwardly by a shoe 96 positioned over the track i8 at -a suitable distance over the table I3. This distance is adjustable by means of a hand wheel 91 to which a bolt 98 is afllxed. The lower end of this bolt is anchored in the shoe 96. The bolt 9B has a screw thread. The threaded part of this bolt passes through a correspondingly threaded bore of a cross-wall 99. The shoe 96 may be slidably guided in vertical direction in an opening of another cross-wall |00.

The picked up buttons -are detached or stripped from the needles before the needles return to the approaching portion 9'5 of their path. This is preferably done by a trap IOI contacting each button shortly before the same leaves the drying chamber 6|. The button trap IOI comprises a fork 102 rising in oblique direction into the path of the needles 94 and of the buttons held by the needles. This fork has a slot sufficiently broad for the passage of the needles, but not broad enough for the passage of the buttons. The fork |02 leads to a chute or channel |03 forming the lower part of the trap IOI and passing through the wall of the drying chamber. When a needle 94passes through the fork |02, this fork retains the button whereupon the detached button drops v through the chute |03 into the open.

their Shanks, especially if the buttons have been shanked by a button shanking machine according to the mentioned prior patent application. In this case, further advantages are obtained by incornorating the'shankingrmachinen V the dipping and drying machine.

l.The slotted :table abil, :the fingers 416, .the :chain 46 -and "the imean's :for fguidance and adjustment ofthe latter elementfdescribed before 4:with "reference tonumerals 'to 1&5 are yso arranged fthat they .serve zbcth the `dipping and the fshan'king mechanisms-.oli theccnmbined'machine. In addition to these common :parts and .-Lto the parts sti, El and .2 I tto A2&4, 'the -.shanking mechanism comprises a shoe ::|:0!| similar ato 'the .shoe 96 :and adiustableiby :a .Jhandv/heel |05 simil-ar Lito the handwheel 91., .and a flexible element or .chain .|506 .extending aand movable along a vcircularly returning path. path runs over the vwheel 2.2,;two other wheels t1|01 and |.08;and aftra'ck |119 positioned between'fthetwoslatter wheels. vTransport :members or icarriers .t0 i(Figs. `13fand i141) are affixed to the ichain i106 at :intervals .equal'to theintervals of the fingers r148. .".Th'e structures, arrangements and'l'func'tions Lof all these 'parts ofthe shank'ing .mechanism .are substantially Y.the same as those of the corresponding parts :ofthe shanking'-1rna'ohine shown :and :described in Athe mentioned ipriorlapplicationg :except that thefta'b'le 48 fguicles the shanked ibdttons ffarther to the fightside in vLelig. ifwhere these buttons :are picked bylthe :needles "94. f

.vThe-.elem'ents vdit, 256 and 106 :and the :parts aixed ito the same move vavith .the same xsp'eed. ThisfresiiIt-maybeobtained by suitable diameters df the '-Wheels rtra'nsinitting :movement Lor speed from one @rement fto'leanother at the *ratio ione fto one; For fexamplegfthefcwaiial wheels 34 and i315 haveequal diameters and the .-coaxial wheels 156 andf'liavei'qualdiameters'wherebytheelements 46 `and 56 nieve* with the speed -o the e connecting chain 5|. The same speed may be transmitted to the element |06 by a driving connection between one of the chains 46 or I56 and the chain |06. For example, the shaft III of the wheel |08 carries another wheel I I2, and the shaft 'I1 of the wheel 61 carries another wheel II3. The ratio of the diameters of the co-axial wheels |08 and Il2 is the same as the ratio of the diameters of the co-axial wheels 61 and I I3; and the wheels I I2 and I I 3 are connected by an endless chain or flexible element ||4.

The relative longitudinal positions of the elements 56 and |06 are preferably adjustable whereby an accurate co-ordination between the shanking and the pick-up positions of the buttons can be secured. For this purpose, one of the wheels |08 and I I2 may be not directly affixed to the shaft I I I, but may be adjustably connected to the other wheel in the same manner as the wheel 35 is connected to the Wheel 34.

As appears from the foregoing description, all wheels and flexible elements or chains are interconnected by driving means whereby each of these wheels or elements may derive motion from any of the other wheels or elements. The entire machine may be driven by a motor of any known and suitable type which may act onthe shaft of any of the wheels described.

The machine is operated as follows:

The shoes 96 and I 04 are adjusted so that their distance from the table I8 is equal to the height of the buttons 49. The relative angular position of the wheels 34 and35is adjusted in the manner described until a button 49 moved by a finger 48 is located in pick-up position over a needle 94. The relative angular position of the wheels |08 and II2 is so adjusted that a button having the correct shanking position over the track |09 later encaisse has the correct pick-up position over the track 18.

Then, the machine is started and buttons are placed on the table I8 before the ngers 48 in the same manner as described in my mentioned prior application. These buttons are moved from left to right in Fig. 1 and may be shanked while passing over the track 109 in the manner described in this prior application. Then, the buttons are picked by the needles 94 and carried through the receptacle l and the drying chamber GI in the manner described before.

I desire it understood that my invention is not confined to the particular embodiment shown and described, the same being merely illustrative, and that my invention may be carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit of my invention as it is obvious that the particular embodiment shown andl described is only one of the many that may be employed to attain the objects of my invention.

Having described the nature of my invention, What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A button dipping machine comprising a receptable adapted to be filled With a button treating liquid, a iiexible element extending and movable along a circularly returning path running through said receptacle, a series of needles affixed to said element, pointing laterally with respect to said path and being adapted to pick and hold buttons, a table with a slot, another flexible element extending and movable along a circularly returning path havingY a portion running over said table parallel to said slot, and a series of fingers aixed to said other element and adapted to shift buttons over a slotted part of said table, said iingers having V-shaped recesses for the insertion of said buttons, the path of said first element having a portion approaching said slotted part from the lower side so that needles reach through said slot into the path of said buttons.

2. A button dipping machine comprising a receptacle adapted to be filled with a button treating liquid, a exible element extending and movable along a circularly returning path running through said receptacle, a series of needles amxed to said element, pointing laterally With respect to said path and being adapted to pick and hold buttons, a table with a slot, a shoe positioned over said slot at an adjustable distance from said table, another flexible element extending and movable along a circularly returning path having a portion running over said table parallel to said slot, and a series of fingers a'xed to said other element and adapted to shift buttons under said shoe over a slotted part of said table, the path of said first element having a portion approaching said slotted part from the lower side so that needles reach through said slot into the path of said buttons.

BERNARD C. EISENBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,130,383 Ellison Mar. 2, 1915 1,480,790 Stanley Jan. 15, 1924 1,783,575 MacDonald Dec. 2, 1930 1,928,938 Johnson Oct. 3, 1933 2,417,920 Flink Mar. 25, 1947 

